Huntsville gazette., 1887-07-16
OF GENERAL INTEREST.

| Some important experiments were
made by the French iron-clad squadron
at Toulon. With the aid of new re-
feetor, torpedoes were visible four
thousand meters distant.
Electric whistles, very melodious
in sound, and said to be less expensive
in manufacture than electric bells, are
being favorably received in France.
The whistle is made by fitting small
brass tube with suitable apertures SO
t that it opens against the spring of a
suitably-formed commutor, or circuit
''make-and- break. "-ArkGnsaaO IrGU-
| eler.
What is the shortest sentence on
record was pronounced not long ago
by an English Justice. The convicted
prisoner had married a second husband
while her first was living, undivorced,
but the circumstances were such that
the Judge said that he could not con-
scientiously sentence her to more than
five minutes imprisonment; and that
was the sentence.
Some of the trees of Arkansas have
peculiar properties. The fruit and roots
Of the buckeye are used bv Indians on
their fishing excursions. They put the
fruit and roots in a bag, which they
drag through the water. In an hour or
so the fish rise to the surface dead.
Cattle die after eating of the fruit or
leaves. Man eats the fruit of the paw
paw, but hogs won't. Ropes and mats
are made of its bark The fruit and
bark of the bay tree are supposed to be
a cure for rheumatism and intermittent
fever.-Boston Budget.
The researches of medical men in
England tend to sustain the theory
that scarlet fever has its origin in dis
ease to which cows are subject. Few
subjects of investigation by physiolo-
gists can be more important than this,
as it may afford means of prevent
ing the occurrence of one of the most
dreaded maladies of household life.
Germs of the same character have
been detected as the product, cause or
accompaniment of scarlet fever in per-
sons and Of the disease of cows already
mentioned. ~ 7. Ledger.
There are more women in the city
Of Brooklyn who smoke cigarettes,
says a tobacconist of that city, ethan
anyone not in the tobacco business
would ever dream Of They prefer
cigarette made with q waxed mouth
piece or with a stiff paper end, as in
their use the tobacco does not stain the
lips or get into the mouth. We have
them made Of the mildest and best
grade of Turkish tobacco and the thin
nest Of rice paper. There are great
many boys sent here for the goods by
the ladies. Messenger boys come some
times"
To make positive copies of draw
ings, coat suitable paper with two
per cent. solution Of bichromate of am
monia, to which little grape sugar
has been added, and dry in the dark.
The paper containing the drawing is
laid upon it and exposed to the light
until the prepared paper has assumed
a gray color; now dip into one per
cent. solution of nitrate of silver, one
tenth of the volume of which consists
of acetic acid. The positive image de-
veloped thereby consists of bichromate
of silver, which becomes dark brown
on drying. Boston Budget.
The Coroner of Ipswich, an Eng
lish town. before commencing an in
quest lately on the case of young lady
whose dead body had been found in
pond, requested the newspaper report
ers to withdraw. They refused to do
SO, and the jury also stated that they
should decline to serve unless the court
were an open one. The Coroner threat
ened to fine the jurymen, and the chief
constable, at his request, proceeded to
remove the reporters by force. The jury
persisting in refusing to receive evil
dence unless the reporters We're adj
mitted, the Coroner adjourned the in
quiry for a week.
-Galton has pointed out some very
curious facts concerning the children
of professional men. He found, from
study Of the heredity Of the members
of some of the largest scientific socie-
ties of London, that the legal profess
sion presented the most eminent men
and the fewest idiots. The medical
profession came next, and lastly cler-
gymen, who produced the smallest
number of eminent men and the
largest number Of idiots and feeble
minded. The lawyers gave origin to
six times as many eminent men as the
clergy. The clergy gave origin to six
times as many idiots and feeble-minded
men as the lawyers Boston Budget.
Coal Aehec for Roade